A Fairy's Halloween
by sagittarii
Summary: The guild enjoys the craziness of Halloween. Light and fluffy in celebration of the joy that is a Fairy Tail costume party. Rated for language and adult-esque descriptions, but nothing more. [One shot goodness.]


**[Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Fairy Tail world, which is trademarked by Hiro Mashima.]**

 **Author's Note: Happy Halloween! The women's costume choices may have been made because of romantic interests or just plain respect for their fellow guild members. Such was the choice for Erza, Wendy, and Cana.**

Natsu had his usual wide grin as he landed on the window sill and slammed the double pane windows opened. "Wake up, Luce! Happy and I-," he stopped when he didn't see the usual lump under the soft pink duvet. His eyes immediately darted to the bathroom only to find the door wide open and the room empty. Confused, he looked around the room and found the usually immaculate room in disarray. Lucy's closet door was left wide open and the drawers to her dressers were not closed properly. Aside from her pristine desk, clothes littered the floor and furniture. Frowning, he took a sniff of the air. The room carried only her scent – and his, if he was to be honest. Apart from the chaos of clothes, there didn't seem to be any sign that the mess was created by anyone other than his partner.

He closed the window and let himself fall to the street, landing with a light thump before straightening from his crouch to stand. His eyes lingered on the closed windows as he scratched his head. It was a rare for the blonde to be up at such an early hour, especially after they had just returned from a job. She enjoyed sleeping in during their first day back, and he enjoyed waking her up at the "ungodly" – as she called it – hour to drag her to the guild for brunch. It had become their tradition through the years. Wondering if perhaps Lucy had already made her way to the guild, he set out towards Fairy Tail.

"Yo, Natsu!" greeted Happy as he finished paying the fishmonger. He took a large bite of the fresh mackerel in his paws and swallowed without bothering to chew. "Is Lucy going fishing with us today?"

"She wasn't there, little buddy," the dragon slayer replied as he picked up Happy and placed the blue exceed on his shoulder. He never bothered to stop walking, his pace increasing. "I was going to head to the guild to see if she's there already."

Happy peered at Natsu. "That's weird. She's never up this early. Do you think she's in trouble?"

"I don't think so," Natsu replied honestly, "but her room was a mess. I think something's up though."

The blue exceed shrugged. "Probably. She's been kind of avoiding you."

"She has not!" he retorted defensively. Though, the fire dragon slayer couldn't quite deny his companion's claim. Natsu had noticed a lack of her presence for the last two weeks, which was why he harassed her to join him on a mission. Though, if he had to be honest, it felt like he practically had to beg and then drag her on a mission just so that he could have some time with the celestial wizard. He was pleased when she finally relented.

The mission was to be a three day event, but the blonde was so keen on getting back to Magnolia that they accomplished their objective in just over two days. The band of bandits barely had a chance to go into the usual villain spiel when Lucy called out Virgo and Leo. The fight, if you could even call it that, lasted a pathetic three hours. Natsu had hardly worked up a sweat! The train was only just pulling into the train station when Lucy gathered her pack, waved a hasty good-bye, and left the passenger car without sparing a second look at his direction. With his face planted against the glass window, he managed a pathetically weak gurgle of protest in his weakened motion sickness induced state while he watched her disappear into the crowd. It took him nearly twenty minutes to crawl out of the miserable death trap of a train without her usual assistance.

"You probably did something stupid to piss her off again," Happy offered, his tone cheerful as if he wasn't saying something out of the ordinary.

Natsu growled. "I did not!" Frankly, he was confused. Natsu didn't think she was annoyed with him; he couldn't even think of an instance that would cause her to pretty much abandon him. Lucy seemed cheery enough. Her eyes still shined brightly at him, and her smile never faltered. If something was wrong, he would know. He always knew. Still. Happy's words made him wonder.

Grumbling, he punched the guild doors as soon as he reached the massive building. The doors flew open with a resounding echo as the heavy wooden door panels slammed against the stone walls, swinging back with the force of his fists. Natsu's flat palms stopped the panels from hitting him, and his eyes darted around the guild hall. The usual patrons stared up at him from their brunch plates and greeted him with the usual Fairy Tail exuberance.

His black eyes scanned the guild hall for the flash of golden hair. It shouldn't have been so hard; Lucy was the only blonde in the guild. Finding none, he moved to the bar. Maybe the She-Demon would have some information. Natsu didn't hide his surprise to find Elfman instead of Mira.

"Hey Natsu," he greeted with a beastly smile. "What can I get you this morning?"

"Yo, Elfman. I'm good, but where's Mira?"

He shrugged. "Mira said she was busy and that I had to man the bar."

"Uh. That's weird. Well, have you seen Lucy at all?"

He shook his head. "No. She hasn't been in this morning."

"The women haven't been around lately," came the gruff interruption.

Natsu turned to see the black haired iron dragon slayer standing beside him, arms folded over his chest. Gajeel looked as irritated as he felt. Frowning, he took a moment to stare around the guild and realized that he didn't see any of the women. In retrospect, Natsu couldn't remember the last time he saw Juvia stalking Gray or Erza eating her strawberry cake. Before he could even consider what that could mean, Elfman slammed his gigantic hand on the bar. Both dragon slayers jumped at the sound and stared at the sheet of paper that was firmly pinned under his gigantic palm.

"Can't think about that now. We have to get ready for the party tonight." Elfman was firm in his declaration as he stared down the two males in front of him.

"Tch," smirked Gajeel. "You're on your own for that, Gigantor. I ain't no interior decorator."

Elfman narrowed his eyes at the dragon slayer. "Fine, but don't blame me after Mira and Erza are done with you. I had strict orders to give out the names of any one not willing to help, and you can bet your unmanly ass that I'm not covering for you." Gajeel and Natsu paled at his words as they made a grab for the list of duties. Elfman flashed them an eerily calm grin, one that Mira carried so easily on the corners of her lips while she batted her eyes innocently. "Now that's manly!"

. . .

The sounds of giggling and excited chatter filled the room easily, and Lucy couldn't help but feel giddy as she took another sip of her vodka-spiked strawberry lemonade before turning to the mirror. She applied the last stroke of shimmering gloss to her darkly painted red lips. Her eyes lingered on the plump surface as she ran the edge of her manicured finger along the edge of her lips to clean the edges. Smiling, she reached up and stretched as she stood to look around. Most of the women had already shed their white robes and were wearing their outfits for the evening. Those who were done were in the middle of helping those who were putting the finishing touches to their costumes. She stepped around Evergreen as she smoothed the tight black pants over her buttocks as she kept uttering "manly" under her breath and around Cana as she adjusted the cloak over her shoulders. Lucy stepped over the several piles of clothes that littered the floor as she made her way towards the folding screen – the designated changing area – to change into one of the few costumes that still hung on the metal rack.

With the yearly Fairy Tail Hallow's Eve Celebration, a few of the women of the guild decided to band together with a group costume theme. The plan had them busy for nearly two weeks, and the evening spelt the end of their combined efforts in designing and creating their costumes. It culminated in the laughter-filled evening before the party, "crammed" into Erza's spacious room in Fairy Hills, as they got ready together. It wasn't hard to see they were all excited for the reactions they would receive. The secret was difficult to keep, with the men slowly realizing that their usual partners were avoiding the guild hall as the celebration night approached. Lies were told, and many felt a little guilty for leaving their favourite men to their own devices for so long.

Lucy was no exception to those feelings. Although she knew Natsu would undoubtedly forgive her for being absent for so long, it didn't mean she enjoyed avoiding him. It was clear that the dragon slayer had missed her when he dragged her on that assignment, and he wasn't shy about sharing his disappointment when she hurried their little team back to Magnolia, leaving him in that passenger car in all his misery. She missed the destructive dragon slayer and his fantastic grin. As she slipped the layered silk skirt over her hips, she made a silent promise to make it up to him by picking out a long fight-filled promising assignment. The blue flying troublemaker would also get the biggest fish she could find. But, hopefully her gifts to the pink haired dragon slayer and his flying blue companion would be a start. The blonde stepped out from behind the folding screen, her hands holding the dark burgundy corset to her chest. "I need some help."

Cana turned her head to Lucy and whistled. "Damn, Lucy!" The other women cheered and joined in with the catcalls.

She laughed as a dust of pink graced her already tinted cheeks. "Just shut up and help me.

. . .

The hammock swayed lightly as Natsu stared at the ceiling. He was bored. Utterly bored. Life just wasn't the same without Lucy around to tease. He missed the weirdo and their banter. Sighing, he scratched his head. The celestial wizard had every right to run off to do whatever she was doing, but it was hard to deny that he was a little hurt at not being a part of it. Things were always more fun when they were together. A knock at his door interrupted his brooding, and Natsu hopped out of his hanging bed to answer it. The wispy scent of the heavens and earth filled his senses, and Natsu could only raise a brow as he swung the door open to reveal the spirit he knew was there. His eyes darted down at the pink haired woman who graced his doorstep. She wore her usual black and white French maid costume, her shackles swinging as she held her arms up towards him. Two white boxes, a much smaller one atop a much larger one, were held up on the palms of her hands. "Virgo?" His eyes darted left and right in hopes of spotting his blonde partner. "What are you doing here?"

"My princess wished to provide you and your exceed with a gift for the evening."

Natsu took the boxes with both hands. "What's this?"

"Princess thought that perhaps you would require a costume for the evening. Unless you already have one picked out for yourself."

He shook his head. "No. I wasn't going," he replied flatly, his mood to party gone after not being able to find Lucy all day. Natsu had spent the day at the guild, helping – more like coerced to help – the other men in decorating the guild for the yearly celebration. He thought he would have caught sight of the blonde at least once, but she never appeared. Any desire to celebrate was long demolished before they finished setting up for the party. After two weeks of being without her, he had moved from being curious to confused to annoyed and was now waist deep in the sulking phase.

Virgo raised a brow with an inquisitive look gracing her usually stoic expression. "You will appear at tonight's celebration." Her tone was flat, matter-in-fact, and strong.

Natsu frowned. "Uh. No?"

The maid instantly placed a hand on his chest and pushed him roughly into his house. A dangerously dark aura surrounded her as she entered his home despite his protests. "Princess spent a significant amount of time sewing your costume. I will not have you disappoint and sadden her by not appearing at tonight's celebration." She kicked his door closed as she grabbed the dragon slayer by the collar and dragged him to his bathroom to throw him into a cold shower as punishment. His kicking and protests fell on deaf ears.

. . .

The women stood outside the massive guild doors. "You ready ladies?" Erza asked as her eyes moved over the women around her. She smiled softly at all of them, her own excitement bubbling under the surface of her calm demeanour.

Levy spoke up as everyone nodded. "Wait! I almost forgot!" she exclaimed as she pulled a small black drawstring leather pouch from the black belt around her waist. She let the contents fall onto her open palm, and the women stared at the rings that tumbled out of the pouch. The blue script mage began picking out particular rings and giving them out to their designated owners. I enchanted each of these rings with the magic of your character for the evening. It won't last for more than a few seconds, maybe a few minutes. And, there is just enough juice for the night. I don't really know. It won't be anything powerful, but it'll be flashy and fun." Levy slipped her own ring onto the ring finger of her right hand, just like the rest of her group.

The women all grinned as they slipped the rings onto their fingers. They could barely contain the smiles that graced their lips; it almost hurt. They turned to face the door, Erza in the center of the group as they fanned out to form a v-shape behind her. The requip kicked the double doors wide open. The women stared out into the unusually calm crowd. Eyes turned to face them, mouths dropping at the very sight of them. Master Makarov fell off the banister on the second floor, a steady stream of blood dripped from his nose as blood loss sent him into a hazy illusion of being in the center of a massive pillow fight with the costumed women. Laxus rolled his eyes as he looked down at his grandfather before he turned his attention to the group, his eyes lingering on the white haired Strauss sister known as the She-Demon.

Mira placed a hand on her hip. Her dark form-fitting pants hung low on her hips while she wore a purple bikini top over her well-endowed chest. A fur lined coat covered her bare shoulders. A pair of sound pods hung around her neck. "You call this a party?" she called out as her eyes glanced around the guild. "Tch," she imitated as she raised her right hand, a yellow ring glistening as it sat on her ring finger. She snapped her fingers and a spark of lightening appeared from her fingertips. Murmurs of surprise filled the quiet air before music began booming over the speakers. The lights dimmed and the floating light lacrimas began pulsating different colours with the rhythm. The men roared alive with excitement, and the mood was instantly lightened. The guild had been rather dull without the craziness the women added, and they crowded around the women as they moved as a group to the bar.

Lucy made her way to the bar with the others and laughed as a shot was placed in front of her. "Come on, Lucy! Time to really celebrate!" cheered Cana.

"My daughter loves me!" interrupted the group before they could take their celebratory shot.

The group turned to stare at a teary eyed Gildarts, his costume consisting of his usual attire and a bunny ears headband, as he regarded the brunette by Lucy's side. Cana was dressed in loose pants and a black bikini top while a black studded cloak covered her shoulders.

Cana rolled her eyes. "Oh shut up, old man," she retorted, though her tone missed any true signs of annoyance. It didn't help that her cheeks were dusted with some pink. "Don't let it go to your head," she muttered as she willed some magic through the ring on her finger and punched Gildarts in the arm. She had thought the ring would provide her with his amazing strength. Instead, a puff of smoke surprised everyone. When it dissipated, a beat of silence filled the air before the roar of laughter erupted. In place of the intimidating Gildart stood three miniature versions of him. A hint of surprise barely registered on his face before another puff of smoke surrounded him and he returned to his usual form. Cana blinked and quickly downed the shot. "Holy shit, Levy! You're fucking awesome!" she exclaimed as a dangerously mischievous look settled on Cana's face. "Come here, _dad_."

Gildart's eyes grew wide with fear and he let loose an unmanly squeak before he started pushing his way through the crowd, Cana following close behind.

The group of women held their sides as they dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. Mira's and Cana's show of magic made them excited for their own little surprises. They took their shots, letting the burning sensation worm its way to their stomachs. "Gray-sama!" exclaimed Juvia excitedly. The water mage was dressed in black pants, her chest covered in a matching black bikini top with frosty blue swirling details. A silver chain hung around her neck while the cross pendent settled nicely between her breasts. She threw her arms around the ice maker wizard, who was once dressed in a costume. "You look handsome! You came as nature!"

"Huh?" Gray didn't understand. Nature? He was dressed as a doctor! Clearly even Juvia would have known that. Worried that he had picked out a questionable costume, he glanced down only to blanch at his complete nakedness. Where the hell were his boxers, dammit?! "Well crap!" He disappeared into the crowd in hopes of finding his costume, Juvia in hot pursuit.

Lucy laughed with Levy. "You did a good job with these rings, Levy," she complimented. "They're a big freaking hit."

The script mage was dressed in black and metal. The thick strapped tank top pushed her tiny breasts to give a hint of cleavage and wrapped around her tiny waist. A short tulle skirt covered her buttocks, and fishnet stockings covered her petite svelte legs. The tall stiletto heels gave her the height she silent craved. A black headband with iron studs held her blue hair in place, and lacy black wings graced her back. Her ears, nose, and lip each had magnetic studs of metal to give her a hardened and dangerous look. She placed the metallic painted foam bat on the bar counter as she grabbed the cocktail and took a long sip through the thin straw. "Thanks, Lu. It was a ton of fun making them," Levy replied.

A shadow covered the pair, and they turned to stare up at the iron dragon slayer as he peered down at them. His eyes flickered to Lucy before they settled on the blue haired wizard. His arms were crossed over his chest. "Not dressed like seafood, shrimp?" He tried to hide the relief at seeing the blue haired bookworm; Gajeel would never admit aloud how much he had missed her presence the last two weeks.

Levy narrowed her eyes as she ignored the muffled laughter of the celestial mage by her side. "No, you behemoth," she retorted hotly. "I'm a dragon!"

"Tch," he replied with a wide smirk. "You ain't no dragon, shrimp. You look more like a demented fairy."

"At least I'm dressed like something. What are you supposed to be?"

"I ain't dressing up as anything." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

Levy smirked and turned to Lucy. She leaned over to the celestial mage and whispered softly into her ear, knowing that with the heavy beat of music would drown out some of her words so that Gajeel wouldn't hear her. An evil glint appeared in Lucy's eyes, making Gajeel step away from the pair. But, he was too late. A pink puff of fluff appeared near him and trapped him in a wall of pink wool before another flash of light appeared beside him and two bodies tackled him. He could only manage a few grunts before another flash of light blinded him. When his vision returned, he could only hear the guild erupt into another wave of laughter and Gajeel had a feeling it was entirely at his expense.

He glanced down at himself, and he released a low dangerous growl, his sights settling on the two hysterical women. They were clutching their sides and could barely remain in the barstools as they shifted from side to side with laughter. Thankfully he was still dressed in his usual black and metal outfit, but he somehow found a shiny studded tiara on his head and a shimmering white sash over his chest. The words "Miss Understood" sparkled in black sequence on the sash. He growled as he ripped the disgusting sash off his chest, but scowled as he tried rip the tiara off his head, only to find it pinned tightly to his locks.

Levy squealed as Gajeel threw her over his shoulder and started smacking his head with the foam bat that Lucy handed to her. "Let me down, you fiend!" she screeched half-heartedly through her laughter.

"You're going to help get this thing off my head, shrimp. Now!" He carried her into the crowd to sit at their usual table. Gajeel smiled at himself, feeling more at ease with her near him again.

Lucy took a sip of her cocktail and watched as her friends slowly dispersed into the crowd. Erza had grabbed a strawberry chiffon cake from Mira and headed towards the Thunder God Tribe with Lisanna and Evergreen to socialize with Laxus' trusted friends. Erza dressed in a female version of Freed's usual red and gold jacket and Lisanna donned a leathery black skin-tight suit as a female Bickslow. Elfman approached the group, his cheeks pink at the sight of Evergreen in a tighter and more feminine version of his usual outfit. The celestial mage smiled as her eyes moved through the crowd in hopes of finding her partner. Not seeing him, she chewed on the corner of her lip and wondered where the man could be. It was unlike him to miss a party, mostly because parties meant being able to start a brawl more easily. She was about to turn when she spotted his face in the crowd, and she smiled wildly when he stepped out from the wall of people that surrounded the bar. "Natsu!" she greeted with a smile.

Natsu wore his usual grin, which only grew wider at the sight of her. Lucy wore a burgundy corset that wrapped tightly around her body, pushing her breasts together – almost threatening to spill over the top – and cinching her waist even smaller. A silk flowing skirt covered her hips and buttocks and was longer than her usual wear, ending a few inches above her knee. She wore matching dark red stiletto heels with ribbons wrapped to mid-calf. Her hair was pulled into a tight bun, tied with a white ribbon covered in sequence to give it a scale-like texture. She had left a few strands curled around her face, the tips of her hair frosted red. Her make-up was flawless, but she had painstakingly drawn scales of red and gold along the side of her face and temples. The top of her head graced a rich gold headband with curled horns. Lace-like gold wings graced her back, dancing like flames as her body moved. The sight of her made his heart rate jump, but he paid no mind to it. It was not unusual for him to feel a little warmer and a little more excited around her. It was part of her appeal and why he craved to be around her. "Yo, Luce!" he greeted with happiness bubbling in his chest.

"You're wearing the costume I made you!" she exclaimed exuberantly. Lucy felt her heart soar at the thought. She had taken considerable time hand sewing his ninja costume. The dark blue fabric covered him from head to toe, though his face remained uncovered. His white scale-patterned scarf remained ever present around his neck.

His smile grew even more, if that was even possible. The corners of his mouth was starting to hurt. He was just so happy to be near her and not have her run off with some excuse. Natsu threw an arm over Lucy's shoulder, his warm hand lightly grasping her arm. "Of course I am, you weirdo. Why wouldn't I?" He had protested heavily when that devil of a maid shoved his body into the cold shower and scrubbed him raw to make him, as she said, "worthy of her princess". But, the moment the fabric of the costume surrounded him, Natsu had calmed down. Lucy's scent was practically woven into the fibers, and his keen sense of smell even picked up the hint of her blood, which he surmised was the result of a needle prick. The thought of Lucy taking the time to create him something made any lingering resentment he felt disappear. She had been thinking of him the entire time, and she had gone so far to pick something she knew he enjoyed.

Lucy smiled as she stared up at him. "So you like it?"

"Yeah! But, you forgot my mask!"

She chuckled and stepped in front of him. "I didn't need to make you one," she replied as she tugged at the ends of his scarf and pulled at the fabric so it would cover half of his face. "You already had one." Lucy smiled brightly at him, her eyes shining with affection. Silence filled the space between them, despite the madness of the guild around them. "Listen, Natsu," she began softly so that only he could hear. "I'm sorry I haven't been around lately. It's just the girls and I wanted to surprise everyone, and we had to make our costumes from scratch. How about we go on a nice long mission after tonight? Just you, me, and Happy. You can even pick it. Monsters and all."

Natsu placed his hands over hers, his heart thumping steadily as he stared down at her. Oh how he had missed her. He cleared his throat, taking a small step back as a hint of pink dusted his cheek. Suddenly, he felt dangerously too close. He was glad for the scarf that hid the colour that graced his face. "So what are ya?"

Lucy giggled. "I'm a dragon, silly!" She reached behind him and reached for her drink to take a long sip. "We decided we'd all dress up as one of the guys in the guild. Some of us as an actual person and others as the element. So I'm dressed like a fire dragon for you." Her cheeks were pink, either from alcohol or emotion.

His eyes moved over her again as she twirled for him. Natsu bit the side of his cheek as a nosebleed threatened to stain his scarf. But what really had his heart jumping was the thought that she had chosen him. "I don't see it," he shrugged teasily.

She narrowed her eyes. "Oh yeah?" Lucy downed the last of her drink and slammed the empty glass on the bar. Powered with alcohol-induced confidence, she grabbed Natsu's hand and dragged him through the crowd. She passed Cana's table and grabbed the whiskey bottle that sat at the edge of the table, ignoring her protests. Lucy released Natsu's hand as she jumped on top of their usual table, which was right next to Cana and her group. Juvia, Gray, Levy, and Gajeel stared up at the celestial wizard as she bellowed loudly over the cacophony of the party. All eyes turned to her. "I'm all fired up!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, her voice filled with joy. She took a big swig of liquor while she snapped her fingers, the ruby red ring glistening as an orange glow from the floating light lacrimas hit the surface. A spark of flame appeared at her finger tips and she released a spray of alcohol into the tiny flame. It grew in a stunning display as both elements came into contact with each other.

It was in that moment that time stopped for Natsu, his mouth open as the scarf dropped to reveal his stunned expression. Lucy's wings seemed to expand as if she was ready to fly, the few strands of hair dancing as the heat of her flames moved through the air. As the alcohol burned and her flame died, Lucy turned to him. Her eyes shined with pure joy, and he could only gape up at her in amazement. His heart drummed against his chest that it almost hurt. The screaming excitement of their guild mates at her fiery display threatened to burst his eardrums, but Natsu didn't care. Oh Mavis. She was stunning in every sense of the word. And, while he had always shrugged off his growing affections for the blonde for the sake of their friendship, he couldn't deny it any longer. It was in that moment that he accepted what he had known for so long. He was in love with her, and the mere acceptance of it made his knees weak.

He stumbled to the empty spot on the bench next to Cana, his eyes never leaving the blonde as she stared down at him, her eyes burning with intense contentment. In that moment, she was fire incarnate and passion personified, and Natsu wanted to do nothing more than claim her as his. Well, crap. He was screwed.

Cana smirked at the expression on his face and forced a drink into his hand. He downed the contents without a second thought. "Holy shit," he mouthed out in a whisper.

"Yup. You better get on that before it's too late," she responded softly and laughed as Natsu only nodded slowly, his eyes still glued on Lucy as the blonde jumped off the table to return the bottle to Cana.

Lucy only flashed Natsu a smug little grin before she stumbled into the seat next to Levy. Her brain was fuzzy with the pre-celebration libations and she toppled hard into the blue haired wizard as she tried to steady herself. It forced the script wizard to fall to the side, her head landing straight into the lap of the iron dragon slayer. Without thinking, Levy hurriedly sat up by placing her hands on his thighs. She stuttered pathetically as red moved quickly over her face to the very tips of her ears. She glared as Lucy laughed hysterically at an equally red Gajeel. "Way to go, Levy! I knew you had it in you to be a little vixen!" she cheered.

"What the fuck, Lu!?" she grumbled as her grip tightened over her silver foam bat. Her ring glistened as she willed her magic into the ring and a thin layer of metal shimmered over her hand.

Lucy smirked. "I don't see Gajeel complaining," she teased. She grabbed Levy's half-filled glass of alcohol and downed the contents without breathing. The sting on her arm made her narrow her eyes at the script mage. Levy had slapped her with her metal-covered hand, and it was hard enough to leave a mark. "You want to go, shortie?!" she screamed as she lunged at Levy.

Gajeel and Natsu jumped to their feet as Lucy tackled Levy to the ground. Their eyes were wide at the sight of the two book-loving best friends punching each other as they rolled around on the guild floor, fabric tearing and nails ready to maim. Lucy tore into Levy's wings. Levy grabbed fistfuls of blond hair. They rolled into the table, knocking the alcoholic contents onto Gray's lap.

"Juvia will not stand for you to dirty Gray-sama!" she exclaimed and jumped into the fray. The right hand on which she wore her blue ring glowed as a thin mist of frost formed while it mixed with her water magic.

"Apologize to Gray-sasma!"

"Oh shut it, wet rag!"

"Beach blonde bimbo!"

"Closet sex freak!"

Gray joined Gajeel and Natsu, and the three men remained silent as the women scratched and pulled and tore into each other. Clothes ripped. Hair pulled. Trickles of blood dripped from their noses as they caught flashes of skin. Lucy straddled the bookworm bluenette between her thighs and pulled at her hair. Juvia kept Lucy's head in a headlock, forcing the blonde's head into her chest.

"We should probably stop them," Gray reasoned, his voice low enough that only the two dragon slayers heard him.

"Probably," muttered Gajeel half-heartedly.

"Maybe they'll stop on their own," countered Natsu, his eyes never leaving the scuffle.

"Maybe we shouldn't get involved?" the iron dragon slayer offered.

Gray nodded slowly, his eyes watched as a black and frosty blue bikini top landed at his feet. "Right. They should probably figure this out on their own."

"It wouldn't be right of us to interrupt," added the pink haired dragon slayer.

Wendy stepped out from the edge of the crowd and willed the magic around the orange ring on her finger. The young wizard was dressed in orange, with an orange and blue jester hat on her head. She grew as tall as Gajeel. All eyes grew even wider as they watched her storm into the fray and separated the three women. "You brats stop it this instant!" she bellowed in her best Master Makarov impersonation. Her innocent smile ghosted over her lips as her body shrunk back to its normal size and she added in her usual polite tone, "Please?"

Carla huffed at the sight of the women who sat on the stone guild floor. "And put on some clothes! We have impressionable children here!"

The three squeaked and covered themselves as best as they could. Lucy's and Levy's torn clothes still covered their most private of areas, though the torn fabric threatened to fall apart at any moment. Juvia, on the other hand, was as naked as Gray usually was. The men stared at her until Gray shot them dirty looks and threw his white doctor coat over the water wizard. "Hey!" he barked at the two oldest perverts in the guild. "Eyes on her face, you perverts!" He led her back to the table and handed her the bikini top.

Gajeel and Natsu led Levy and Lucy back to the table. The two women were already laughing, their faces pink with embarrassment and the two dragon slayers could only shake their heads. Women.

. . .

Lucy crawled into her bed and inhaled deeply. The room spun around her, even with her eyes closed. She groaned and threw the blanket over herself. An arm snaked its way under her head and over her waist. She didn't even bother to scowl at him or kick him out of bed. In her drunken haze, she didn't care. To keep Natsu out of her apartment to prevent him from finding her costume, she had taken extra efforts to keep him away from sneaking into her apartment for two weeks. While she would never admit it aloud, she did miss having Natsu sneak into her apartment at night. So she never bothered to kick him out after he walked her home after the party. Lucy sent her arm back to lightly jab him in the chest with her elbow. "Night," she murmured into her pillow. Her consciousness floated between the living and the dead of sleep. She felt the ghost of a kiss on her shoulder blade, but Lucy was sure she was dreaming. The warmth of lips on her skin made her sigh with contentment. "Happy Halloween, Natsu."


End file.
